Lidl-Trek bring Tour momentum to Vuelta with Pedersen and Skjelmose

Skjelmose arrives in Monaco less than a month after finishing sixth overall at the Tour de France, the best Grand Tour result of his career. The Dane has already shown he can perform at the Vuelta, having finished fifth overall and won the young rider classification in 2024.

This time, the expectations are higher. Sports director Maxime Monfort has confirmed that Skjelmose will start as the team’s GC leader, with Lidl-Trek prepared to aim high while acknowledging the unknowns that come with riding a second Grand Tour in the same season.

“Skjelly [Skjelmose] is the GC leader. It's his second Grand Tour, but he's really feeling great, and he's going for GC,” Monfort said. “We can dream big, but, of course, he doesn't know how he's going to react in the third week.”

The route should suit Skjelmose’s profile. The race includes seven summit finishes, while two individual time trials give him another chance to use one of his strengths.

Pedersen returns to Grand Tour racing after leaving the Tour with both a stage victory and the green jersey. The former world champion won stage 4 to Foix and went on to secure the points classification in Paris, completing a rare set of points jerseys across all three Grand Tours.

At the Vuelta, however, another green jersey will not be the only focus. Pedersen is expected to target stages while also playing a role in the wider team plan. The limited number of pure sprint stages could work in his favour, with several rolling and selective days offering the kind of reduced finishes where he is often at his best.

Pedersen already has a strong record in Spain, with four Vuelta stage victories and two points classification wins.

Thibau Nys adds another stage winning option, although his build up has been far from straightforward.

After knee surgery earlier in the season, Nys returned to racing in June but then suffered another setback during his final Vuelta preparation. He contracted toxoplasmosis after a training block in Spain and required a course of antibiotics, forcing him to miss both the Clásica San Sebastián and the Vuelta a Burgos.

Nys has said he believes a steak tartare was the likely source of the infection. At one point, his participation in the Vuelta appeared doubtful, but his condition improved quickly enough for him to make the eight rider squad.

“I have the feeling I am in the shape I wanted to be and I can't expect more than that after what I have been through,” Nys said. “Actually, the last training rides I did really surprised me with my good shape.”

If Nys can carry that condition into the race, Lidl-Trek will have another dangerous option on punchy stages and uphill finishes, especially on days too hard for the pure sprinters but not selective enough for the main climbers.

The rest of the team is built to support Skjelmose while keeping options open for stage hunting. Lennard Kämna and Patrick Konrad will be important in the mountains, while Julien Bernard brings extensive Grand Tour experience. Jacopo Mosca and Mathias Norsgaard complete the line up, with both expected to play key support roles on flatter and transitional stages.